At the first full day of the Republican National Convention here in St. Paul, President Bush, Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman and former presidential candidate Fred Thompson urged the country to elect Senator John McCain. During his speech, President Bush compared progressive critics of his administration with the North Vietnamese who captured John McCain and held him as a prisoner of war for over five years during the Vietnam War.

President Bush: “Fellow citizens, if the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain’s resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will. As the father of seven sons and daughters, John has the heart of a protector. He and his wonderful wife, Cindy, are adoptive parents. John is a leader who knows that human life is fragile, that human life is precious, that human life must be defended.”

Bush’s praise for McCain on his war-time record and family life contrasts with his efforts to smear McCain during their battle for the Republican nomination eight years ago. During the 2000 Republican primaries, the Bush campaign questioned McCain’s mental health because of his experience in Vietnam and suggested his adopted daughter could have been born out of wedlock.